horse doesnt want to stay out in the field

[Austen123]

Hi all,
my mare has been on winter routine of in at night and out during they day since September. However, in the last month she has jumped out of her field, ran through the fence or ran underneath the fence! she is out at 7/730 and i usually bring in to ride at about 245 . She has plenty of grass, has breakfast before she goes out, has company of neighbouring horses . Always the first one in! It's funny because she never acts stressed with it, she never paces or calls etc .i just come down the drive and see shes in the walkway where everyone's fields gateways are . I have tried the usual of making an additional layer of electric fence a few meters back so she cant jump, she just runs through it .

this is my first winter with her, she was on a pros yard before me and in winter they had hardly any turnout time/none in the depths of winter. im not sure if shes saying she prefers to come in earlier so am going to try and bring in her at lunchtime and see whether that works.
Sometimes, i can either come down the drive at 130ish and see shes happily munching away from the gate and then when i finish mucking out and go and get her by 2/230 shes jumped/ran through both my internal temp fence and the gate to her field and waiting for me in the walkway!

 

[Gingerwitch]

Cqn she have a field buddy ?

 

[Goldenstar]

I think I would get her when you arrive .
I got a horse from pro yard she was lovely but it took me two years to get her to accept three hours a day turnout .
I also had two others that just jumped back to the yard when they had had enough one settled in time ,the other ( who went on to another home ) still did it in his twenties they just left the stable door open for him .

 

[doodle]

I think I would also be bringing her in early. I don’t see any point in making them stay out when they clearly don’t want to. You don’t want an injury if she gets jumping the fence wrong.

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

I would bring her in at lunchtime, ride, put her back out, then do your yard jobs while she is out and then bring her in. split up the time that she is out but try to make it the same length of time altogether.

 

[Goldenstar]

Mine was better if I turned her out after work .

 

[sport horse]

Bring her in when she wants not when you want!

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

Bring her in when she wants not when you want!

How many people can do that? Most of us have to work and horses have to fit round that. The owner needs to make changes to the routine gradually to accustom the horse to it, if at all possible.

 

[Austen123]

she went out at 7 today and came in about 1145. she was munching when i arrived and when i walked up to the field and she saw me coming she came and met me by the gate.
will be arranging for her to come in just before lunch this week with a small haynet and i will come up mid afternoon to ride, do jobs and finish her for the night.

 

[Gingerwitch]

I agree with you Austin especially if the yard can accommodate. One of mine took 2 winters to realise that Lions did not arrive at exactly 13.30 hours. They all stay out happily til 4.30 the flipping clock s change but want in around 3 now. Yard can accommodate this so that's what we do, stops stressy owner (me) and stressy horses pacing or churning up the gate way s or acting like tits getting hurt. I do give in, as I personally think it's pointless making them stay out as it just brings vet bills and stress. Good luck GW x

 

[doodle]

When Robin decides it’s time to come in at night that is that. Him and his buddy are ready waiting to come in by 3pm now. They give it some time and then if they see others coming in they kick off! Easier to just bring in by 3.

 

[L&M]

Bring her in when she wants not when you want!

In an ideal world this , although know it isn't always possible.

I ran a assisted diy livery yard for years and owners couldn't understand why when I got them in they were settled and calm - it was because I would keep an close eye on them and could see when they wanted to come in, rather than making them wait.

It upset me to see stressed, and sometimes dangerous horses, with owners struggling to cope in the depths of winter - however much we need our horses to fit around our busy schedules, a horses mind only thinks of their own immediate needs and wants and is a rare horse that just 'slots' into human routines.

 

[mariew]

Mine point blank refused turnout one winter for a couple of months when the fields were particularly bad so she stayed in. I didn't have time to try to argue with her to go out! Sounds good if you can get someone to help with an early bring in.

 

[Gingerwitch]

I have always booked bring in, regardless, you cannot explain to a horse that you will be along shortly and you will be there at half 5. It's not an issue now they are on full livery as yard knows mine are made if sugar and will melt in the rain lol. The tb who should be the wimpo of mine is actually the hardiest and will happily graze away as long as he has a friend. My two girls and the other boy are total wimps and want in when they want in or else they will scream and scream and scream lol x

 

[Austen123]

haha, i think i should rename my mare's name to diva . hopefully this lunch time bring in will work, and i will put her on the walker while i muck out so she has an additional leg stretch before i ride. my YM also said that when spring returns and ground drys out they will put in the large stallion type fence posts with about 5 or 6 strands in it .
So strange, as she spent all of this summer living out 24/7. mares' ey'.. they would be boring otherwise.

 

[Gingerwitch]

haha, i think i should rename my mare's name to diva . hopefully this lunch time bring in will work, and i will put her on the walker while i muck out so she has an additional leg stretch before i ride. my YM also said that when spring returns and ground drys out they will put in the large stallion type fence posts with about 5 or 6 strands in it .
So strange, as she spent all of this summer living out 24/7. mares' ey'.. they would be boring otherwise.

not strange, mares are very clever and know exactly what they want lol x

 

[Caol Ila]

I agree with you Austin especially if the yard can accommodate. One of mine took 2 winters to realise that Lions did not arrive at exactly 13.30 hours. They all stay out happily til 4.30 the flipping clock s change but want in around 3 now. Yard can accommodate this so that's what we do, stops stressy owner (me) and stressy horses pacing or churning up the gate way s or acting like tits getting hurt. I do give in, as I personally think it's pointless making them stay out as it just brings vet bills and stress. Good luck GW x

My horse and my ex-yard owner were in a long-running stand-off over bringing in time. Bringing-in time was 3:45. Not a minute before. That was a fact as immutable as gravity. My horse thought it should be around 2 and would start fencewalking. For all the years I was doing a PhD, and then freelance horse training, and then a masters, my horse would end up looking like an SSPCA case by March. Then the year after I finished said masters and started doing freelance writing and working on a novel, I had a lot more flexibility and would show up at around 2 and rescue her. I also recruited my friend and a sharer to fetch her on days I could not be there. By March, she looked pretty good. We had about two years where my system seemed pretty effective.

Then in late 2018/early 2019, sharer got a job which left her less flexible, and YO started complaining to friend and sharer that I was "enabling" the horse by bringing her in early. His view was that she should be left out until last in order to show her that she could not get what she wanted. Because that's totally how stereotypies work. I do get a why a YO might not want to be running all over the place, bringing in horses at different times of day. But if he'd at least conceded to bringing my horse in first, he would have got points for trying, and I would have more respect for him as a horseman. But on any day my horse paced and neither me nor my friends could get to the yard, she would always be the last horse in. Which meant she would be racing franticaly back and forth along the fence, after fencewalking for the previous two or three hours, and turn herself into a sweaty, hot mess. But hey, YO had proved his point to her. '

 

[Gingerwitch]

My horse and my ex-yard owner were in a long-running stand-off over bringing in time. Bringing-in time was 3:45. Not a minute before. That was a fact as immutable as gravity. My horse thought it should be around 2 and would start fencewalking. For all the years I was doing a PhD, and then freelance horse training, and then a masters, my horse would end up looking like an SSPCA case by March. Then the year after I finished said masters and started doing freelance writing and working on a novel, I had a lot more flexibility and would show up at around 2 and rescue her. I also recruited my friend and a sharer to fetch her on days I could not be there. By March, she looked pretty good. We had about two years where my system seemed pretty effective.

Then in late 2018/early 2019, sharer got a job which left her less flexible, and YO started complaining to friend and sharer that I was "enabling" the horse by bringing her in early. His view was that she should be left out until last in order to show her that she could not get what she wanted. Because that's totally how stereotypies work. I do get a why a YO might not want to be running all over the place, bringing in horses at different times of day. But if he'd at least conceded to bringing my horse in first, he would have got points for trying, and I would have more respect for him as a horseman. But on any day my horse paced and neither me nor my friends could get to the yard, she would always be the last horse in. Which meant she would be racing franticaly back and forth along the fence, after fencewalking for the previous two or three hours, and turn herself into a sweaty, hot mess. But hey, YO had proved his point to her. '

That's awful And shame on him/her for such a ridiculous attitude.itd like taking tea off a horse if it did a bad dressage test or had a pole down. Afraid to say I would have been long gone from that yard or made a point if buying in a freelance groom to do it. But I know it's not always that easy.

 

[Flowerofthefen]

It wont be long before my horse wont stay out more than 10 mins. He is currently fine , I think it's down to the mild weather. As soon as it gets cold he wants in. This is my third winter with him and I have tried everything to keep him happy. He is happiest in so when he starts to kick off he comes in until the weather improves!! I used to worry about it but I dont anymore.

 

[Fluffypiglet]

This all makes me feel better about my pillock,! He's decided he's not particularly keen on being an outdoor horse now and luckily YO is very good at pandering to the needy creature ?

 

[sport horse]

Many years ago I had my friends horse to stay for a whole winter - she had emigrated to the USA and was pregnant so horse came to stay until she had given birth and was able to arrange for him to join her in America.
Put him out in the day, bring in at night the owner said. OK so he went out about 9am each day, stood by gate asking why I had put him out in the middle of winter, mooched off and picked at a bit of grass then at 11am every day without fail, he went field hopping through 4 fields and my garden, until he ended up back in the yard and put himself in his stable! We gave in and left him out for an hour or so while we mucked out then brought him in - it seemed a safer arrangement than letting him free range!
Oh and for those who think it is bad for their health, said horse lived to his late 20's fit & healthy!

 

[Gingerwitch]

Mine one prima wants a phone....
Wuth pre programmed texts
1 text messages says.... It's okay I WILL stay out a bit longer
2. Please bring me in now
3. Where the hell are you?
4. Stuff you I am in the stable and you best fix the fence ?

 

[Caol Ila]

That's awful And shame on him/her for such a ridiculous attitude.itd like taking tea off a horse if it did a bad dressage test or had a pole down. Afraid to say I would have been long gone from that yard or made a point if buying in a freelance groom to do it. But I know it's not always that easy.

Yeah, for someone who had spent their whole lives around horses, it was a bonkers line to take. I spent years trying to move, and I totally regret not doing it sooner, but life stuff and a lack of viable alternatives kept getting in the way.

 

[Austen123]

i had a dressage lesson at 9 this morning so she went out about 10 this morning, so i thought i could push it back to a 1pm bring in. she wasnt waiting but again she was definitely ready to come in, ate a small haynet and had a snooze while i did jobs and then gave her her night net and dinner late aft before i left. she seemed content.
almost feel like saying " yes, your majesty. your wish is my command"

 

[Caol Ila]

Some mares just need to feel like they have slaves.

 

[doodle]

It’s not just mares ?

 

[Austen123]

an update.. she comes in between 12 and 1pm and i arrive by 2. yard groom says depending on the weather, she will see her coming and march over to her and other times, she say "oh, it' s you" and carry on eating. however, when i arrive at 2 she's always had a good munch on her haynet and is normally fast asleep at the back of her stable with her bottom lip nearly touching the floor. i think she is happy with this arrangement .

 

[SEL]

We have a new mare on the yard who starts to stress after an hour. Apparently she was fine on her old yard but seems to have taken a dislike to her field at ours! She's very happy in her stable.

I have the opposite end of the spectrum who moan loudly if I'm late for morning turnout and grumble at bringing in time.

 

[doodle]

Robin is desperate to get out every morning. If weather is really bad he will decide 15mins later he NEEDS to come in. If everyone else stays in he is happy to stay in too. In the afternoon he is desperate to come in. He usually makes it till 3!then does his “I’m miserable and miss treated” face. If that doesn’t work they will career about. I’m about to go up now as it is miserable and I can feel the miserable face 4 miles away. Anyway what I’m saying is it is easier (in terms of not running about trashing field etc) to pander to him and bring in.

 

[Annagain]

Ours go out at 6.30am and come in at about 6pm in the week, it's about 7.30 and 5 at weekends. They're usually mooching about the gate area from about 4.30 and they're happy to come in sooner but equally happy to stay out later. Woe betide you if you're even a minute late in the mornings, though. 7.30 is about as late as you can leave it before stables start getting trashed.